A Day With Darry
by Greaserfreak
Summary: What is a day like for the oldest Curtis brother? Read to find out.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own The Outsiders.

The sound of my alarm clock woke me up at exactly five in the morning. I thought about going back to sleep for ten minutes. But, turned off the alarm and got out of bed instead. I grabbed a pair of jeans and a black t-shirt before I went to take a shower. After my shower, I got dressed and combed my hair. I didn't put any grease in it. I don't make a big deal out of how my hair looks like my younger brothers do. Ponyboy is very picky about how his hair looks. Especially now that all the bleached hair from his week up at Windrixville is starting to grow out. I had offered to take him to the barber shop for a hair cut, but he refused because his hair was finally starting to get long again.

I wandered to the kitchen where I started to make breakfast. One advantage of getting up as early as I do is you can actually enjoy the fact that the house is quiet. I knew that in a hour or so, the house would suddenly become noisy. And it would most likely start with Soda's loud singing when he took his shower.

I made myself a cup of coffee and sipped it while I made pancakes. I usually drink three cups of coffee before I go to work. Soda and Ponyboy don't care for coffee. They're happy with their chocolate milk.

"What's for breakfast?" Soda asked an hour later, his hair still wet from his shower.

"Pancakes." I replied. "Is your brother up yet?"

"He's your brother too, Darry." Soda informed me.

"I know. But is he up?" I asked again. Pony is usually the last one up.

Soda nodded. "I think he's fussing over his hair."

I nodded as I handed him a plate of pancakes. I didn't bother giving him maple syrup. He always puts chocolate syrup on his pancakes. Sometimes, I wonder if our parents brought home the wrong baby by mistake after Soda was born because Pony and I aren't like him at all. But, I know they didn't since he looks exactly like mom.

"Soda! You used up all the hot water again!" Pony yelled from the bathroom. I gave Soda a look.

"What?" Soda gave me his best inocent look and I had to grin. "There's three of us here, Darry. It can't all be my fault."

"No." I sighed. "But we can't expect him to shower at night, either."

Soda didn't respond. He just grinned at Pony who was entering the kitchen at that moment. His hair was also wet.

"Did you finish all your homework last night?" I asked him.

He nodded as he poured syrup on his pancakes. I could tell that he was lost in a day dream. The kid always has his head in the clouds. Sometimes, it bothers me because he could be doing something constructive. Other times, I'm almost jealous because at least he has time to day dream and be a kid. When you work two jobs like I do, you have no time to day dream because you're too busy working all the time.

"Anyone home?" Two-Bit yelled while slamming the front door. He appeared in the kitchen with Steve behind him.

"I just fixed that door, Two-Bit." I scolded. "Do you always have to slam it shut like that?"

Two-Bit ignored me and helped himself to cake.

Steve started to talk with Soda about cars.

I poured myself my third and final cup of coffee for the morning. The house was now full of noise and while I like it quiet, I wouldn't have it any other way. To me, it means that my family is there and okay. Or whats left of it. I remembered the week that Pony had been gone. It wasn't the same at the house without him. But, now he was back home and things were back to normal. I reached over and patted Pony's shoulder.

Ponyboy looked at me and grinned. I could tell that he was thinking the same thing. The week that he was gone hadn't been easy on any of us. Of course, losing two of our friends didn't help much, either. Pony's gotten better over the past few months. But Soda and I are still careful not to mention Johnny or Dally if we can help it.

"I have to go." I said standing up. "Pony, Soda, I want the dishes washed and the living room cleaned by the time I get home tonight."

"Aw, Darry, the living room will only get dirty again." That was Two-Bit.

I playfully slapped the back of his head. "Probably because you're the one who'll make the mess. I'll see y'all later."

I left the house and got into the truck. A minute later, I was driving to work.


	2. Chapter 2

I arrived at the house I was roofing shortly before seven. As usual, I was the first one there, besides the boss who was already walking around trying to see if we'd be done with the roof by the end of the day. He doesn't like staying at one place more than he has to.

"Hey Curtis, I need you to start carrying bundles of roofing up the ladder." The boss instructed when he saw me.

I didn't say anything, instead, I just grabbed two bundles of roofing and carried them up the ladder. As I went up the ladder, I could almost hear Ponyboy and Soda yelling at me. They don't think I should carry more than one bundle up the ladder at a time. Especially since I threw my back out a few weeks ago. But, if I don't carry two bundles at a time, I'd have to waste more time going up and down the ladder and less time actually roofing the house.

"Darry, don't strain yourself." Greg told me as he climbed up the ladder after me. "Carrying one bundle at a time isn't going to kill you."

I gave him a small grin. "Yeah? My brothers say the same thing."

"Maybe you should listen to them." Greg said. He was in his early forties. Almost the same age my father would have been if he were still alive. "You're twenty-one, Darry, you don't want to be walking around like an old man yet."

"In other words, I'm still young enough to go out and have fun?" I asked as I got to work next to him.

"Exactly. Don't let your youth pass you by." Greg told me, his blond hair blowing in his eyes.

"That's easy for you to say, you didn't have two younger brothers to take care of when you were my age." I replied.

Greg just looked at me. "Just don't be so serious all the time."

We stopped talking and worked silently next to each other. The sound of our hammers echoing in the wind as we worked. A short distance away, I could hear some of my other coworkers talking. And if I looked towards the street, I could see Soda walking to work in his bare feet, carrying his shoes and socks in his hand.

"Come on, lets get this roof finished today!" The boss yelled up to us from the ground.

"Someday, that will be you down there." Greg teased me.

"In your dreams." I replied with a grin. I was still hoping to eventually go to college and find a better career for myself. I was just waiting for Pony to finish up with high school first.

The morning went by quickly and beofre I knew it, it was time for lunch. Greg and I sat next to each other, eating what we had brought. A few of the other guys joined us. All of them older than me. I was usually the youngest one roofing houses unless the high school kids were on break and their parents insisted that they get a job instead of sitting at home all day, which was usually in the summer when we really needed the extra help.

"It's a nice day out today." Fred commented as he took a bite of the ham sandwich his wife had made for him.

The rest of us all nodded in agreement and I made a mental note to try to play a quick game of football with my brothers, Steve, and Two-Bit before I had to go to my other job later. We usually play football on Saturdays, but today was a good day for a quick game. I just had to get through another three hours of roofing the house first.


	3. Chapter 3

After work, I went home to find Soda making dinner and Ponyboy reading a book on the couch. The things I had asked them to do that morning were done. Which meant that I could sit down and relax for a while.

"Darry, a past due notice came in the mail." Ponyboy said as he turned the page in his book.

"Which bill?" I asked.

"I think it's the electric bill." Pony said handing me an envelope. "Our electricity isn't going to get shut off, is it?"

I frowned as I opened the envelope and read the notice inside. The warning of the electricity being shut of if the bill wasn't paid by a certain day glared back at me as I read.

"Well, so much for a game of football." I mumbled.

"Huh?" Pony looked at me.

I sighed, "I thought we could all play a quick game of football before I left for my second job, but it looks like I have to go pay this bill. I could have sworn that I paid the electric bill last month."

"Maybe it's a mistake." Pony suggested.

"I wish it were." I told him. "But even if it is, I have to pay it or else they'll turn off the electricty."

"When?" Pony asked.

"Yeah, when?" Soda asked as he entered the room. I hadn't been aware that he was listening. "Should I start setting aside money to help pay the electric too?"

"If I don't pay the bill they'll shut off the electricity in a week." I said, answering both of them. "And Soda, why don't you take on the responsibility of giving Pony his allowance every week, okay? I'd rather have you do that than worry about helping me with another bill."

"Okay Darry." Soda agreed. "Dinner's almost ready."

I didn't bother asking what we were having. Knowing Soda, it could be anything and any color. But, it would also probably be really good. Out of the three of us, Soda somehow picked up on our mom's talent for cooking. He could also be a good baker if he didn't over do it with the sugar. Of course, mom had always encouraged his creative cooking techniques. So, it's no wonder that he makes dinner on most nights.

I looked at Ponyboy who had put down the book. "Have you had any dreams lately?"

Pony knew what I was getting at. I wanted to know if he still had that dream that seemed to scare all three of us even though he was the only one who had the dream. I was glad when the dream stopped occuring on a regular basis when Soda moved into Pony's room. However, I knew he still had it on occassion and I wish he knew what what was scary about it."

"Darry, if I've had that dream, I'd tell you. You know that." Ponyboy replied.

"Yeah, I know." I admitted. "But, I still wonder about it."

"Dinner's ready." Soda announced from the kitchen.

"I wonder what weird thing he did this time." Pony whispered to me as we walked into the kitchen.

We all sat down to dinner which was tacos. It's kind of hard to do weird things with tacos, even for Soda. So, he put blue food coloring in the sour cream.

"When do you have to leave?" Pony asked me as he made himself a taco.

"Since I have to go pay the electric bill, probably around six, why?" I usually leave around six-thirty in order to get to my second job by seven.

"I need help with my math." Pony admitted. That didn't surprise me. Ponyboy is taking algebra and always seems to have trouble understanding it.

"I'll help you as soon as we're done with dinner okay, little buddy?" I said.

Pony nodded and grinned at me. "Thanks Darry."

I grinned back at him and made myself a second taco.


	4. Chapter 4

After I went to pay the electric bill, I went to my second job which is working in a warehouse. Another job that requires heavy lifting that puts a lot of strain on my back. But it helps get the bills paid and that's all that matters. Of course, Pony and Soda feel otherwise, if they're not telling me to stop carrying two bundles of roofing up a ladder, they're telling me not to carry too many heavy boxes at one time.

"You're not early for once." Tony commented when I punched my time card. "Are you feeling okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. I just had to stop at the electric company to pay a bill that was past due." I replied.

Tony just looked at me and walked away. He was from the rich side of town and didn't understand what it was like to struggle to get the bills paid every month. I know this because we went to school together and he used to eat lunch with Paul and me. His parents bought him everything he wanted, even now, although he's twenty-one and has a job.

I felt the familar twinge of jealousy creep through me as I watched Tony drive a fork truck to another area of the warehouse. It had always bothered me that I had to live on the poor side of town and when I was younger, I had dreams of becoming a famous football player who would have enough money to buy his family a mansion and pay for his two younger brothers to go to college. I even wanted to buy Soda a farm with all the horses he wanted. But unfortunately, I had to stop dreaming and face something called reality. Something Ponyboy needs to face sooner or later.

"I need you to start putting those boxes over there on shelves." The boss said to me as he walked past. He was pointing to a pile of boxes several feet away.

I walked over to the boxes and started putting them on shelves, lifting two, sometimes three at a time. My back was already sore for roofing that house earlier in the day, but I ignored it and continued to work.

"Has anyone ever told you that you work too hard?" Ben said to me when he came to see how I was doing.

I grinned. "Yeah, my brothers tell me that all the time."

Ben grinned too then continued to go to the area where he was also putting boxes on shelves. Unlike Tony, Ben grew up middle class. He was a few years older than me, but I remembered him from grade school. Maybe because he was the kid who always went out of his way to be nice to people, kind of like how you always remember the school bully.

I continued to shelve boxes until it was time to take a break, which I took only because the company requires it. Both Tony and Ben joined me. Which isn't unusual since we have the same break period. I like being around Ben, but would rather not have Tony with us and after drinking half of my Pepsi, I was reminded why.

"Darry, bills are no big deal. You always complain about how this bill and that bill needs to be paid. You need to stop worrying so much and live a little." Tony said to me and I saw Ben roll his eyes at the back of Tony's head.

"Tony, have you ever seen a bill?" I asked. "Do you know what it's like to be without electricity or even hot water for a few days? Because let me tell you, it's not pleasant to have to take your morning shower in ice cold water because the bill wasn't paid or to stumble around a dark house because the electric company disconnected your service."

"And he has two brothers to take care of, too." Ben added in my defense.

"You have two jobs, Darry. You have money." Tony said, crushing his soda can in his fist.

"Yes, I have two jobs." I agreed. "But, that doesn't mean I have all the money in the world and you need to remember that I don't have the privledge of having parents who will buy everything I ask for. In fact, unlike your parents, mine aren't around anymore."

I don't usual mention the fact that my parents aren't around anymore but I felt some satisfaction when I saw Tony's eyes get wide. I know that no one likes to think about losing their parents and I'm the one who makes them think about that. I also know that Soda and Pony have had the same effect on people they know.

We finished the rest of our break in silence before returning to work. By the time I was punching out to go home, my back was so sore, I could barely walk. I hoped Soda hadn't gone to bed yet because I really needed a back rub, even if he ended up putting me to sleep.


	5. Chapter 5

"You look tired." Soda commented when I entered the house. He had the television on to the news even though I was sure he wasn't watching it. I think he just wanted to have some sort of noise since no one else seemed to be there.

"Did Pony finish his homework?" I asked.

"As far as I know. He fell asleep while reading some book." Soda replied.

I opened my mouth to comment on Pony's constant reading, but Soda stopped me.

"He said he had to read it for his english class. Mr. Symes assigned it." Soda informed me.

I sighed and flopped down on the couch, shoving Soda's DX shirt on the floor even though I was probably the one who put it on the couch in the first place. I tried to watch the television but could barely focus on what was going on. My eyes could hardly stay open and my back hurt.

"Darry, why don't you go to bed?" Soda asked. "You're practically falling asleep anyway."

I gave him a small grin. "I still have things to do, little buddy. Like check to see if your brother did okay with his math and throw a load of laundry in the wash."

Soda watched me as I stood up and frowned when I grabbed my back. "You've been carrying two bundles of roofing up the ladder again, haven't you?"

"It's no big deal, Soda. I'll be fine in the morning." I said as I went to the kitchen. "Is there still some dinner left over from earlier? I'm starving."

Soda followed me. "I think so. But Darry, you just threw your back out not too long ago and the doctor told you not to lift so much weight or it'll happen again."

I sat down at the table and started to eat. Soda sat down, too after helping himself to a bowl of chocolate ice cream.

"Soda, if it pays the bills, I'm not going to stop." I said.

"And how are we going to pay the bills if you throw your back out again? My job isn't going to cover it and I know you won't want Pony to work." Soda replied, as he stirred his ice cream around.

I sighed. "Nothing is going to happen okay, little buddy?"

Soda just looked at me without saying anything. If Pony had been in the room, he would have gave me the same look. I finished eaing and stood again, wincing from the pain in my back. Then I went into my room and grabbed a load of laundry and caried it to the basement where I put it in the washer. When I went back upstairs, Soda was in his room getting ready for bed.

"Hey little buddy, before you go to bed, would you mind giving me a back rub?" Soda gave me a mischievious smile as he nodded. "And stop giving me that look. I already know that you're planning on putting me to sleep."

"What about Pony's homework?" Soda asked once we were inmy room and he had started the back rub.

I sighed. "I guess it can wait till morning."

I felt my muscles start to relax as Soda gave me the back rub. Pony gives me back rubs too, but they're not as good as Soda's. As Soda massaged my neck and shoulders, I started to feel the tension I had felt melt away. I don't know how long the back rub lasted, but I do know that Soda didn't stop until he was certain that I was asleep. Even though I was still fully clothed and still had to put my clothes into the dryer.


End file.
